Whilst this formula is considered top secret at Old Spice HQ (along with just how Old Spice Guy gets his abs), we have been able to identify some of the things the brand are doing right with their campaigns.
Keep it Short 'n' Snappy
Generally speaking, people don't want to sit through long things. Think about it - when did you ever hear someone complaining that that advert was ‘just too short'?! The vast majority of Old Spice's videos average at slightly less than a minute per video. With the exception of more in depth storytelling videos, you should aim to keep your content between one minute & 90 seconds.
With the tongue-in-cheek tagline 'The Man your Man Could Smell Like', Old Spice opened themselves up to a wealth of marketing opportunities. The premise is simple; Old Spice will turn you into the man you wish to be. Often this is the uber suave Isaiah Mustafa - or 'Old Spice Guy' to you and me. His over-the-top humor and excessive bravado is impossibly funny and has been one of the key ingredients in rocketing Old Spice to viral stardom.
Promote, Promote, Promote.
Content and marketing go hand-in-hand, something Old Spice were clearly aware of when they launched their social media campaigns. If you create quality content, chances are that people will want more. Old Spice met this demand by producing as many commercial-quality videos as possible.
Their most noteworthy was a personalized video campaign, whereby fans were invited to submit their questions to the Old Spice Guy. The brand then chose a handful of these submissions and filmed videos responding to their queries. With the ever-wacky Old Spice nature still whimsically intact, every video response certainly felt like the brand went out of its way to film a commercial just for that one fan.
Market Everywhere
Don't just rely on social media though! It really boils down to a pretty simple thought - Having several ads across many different networks is the best way to attract as many fans as possible to your cause. By marketing all at once, the hope is that the multiple discussions on each network converge to create one giant conversation. Old Spice rolled out a print campaign alongside YouTube videos, TV ads & social media campaigns. It garnered a huge response from all its channels and made for an efficient, effective marketing strategy.
Old Spice have set the bar for how other brands can approach viral video advertising. By consistently putting the customers first, Old Spice have struck the perfect balance between content and marketing. The fact of the matter is, however, that other businesses can do the same. It's just knowing about knowing how.
Author Bio
Madeleine Hammond is a marketing executive at Skeleton Productions - one of the UK's leading video production companies.
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